1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to educational games, and more specifically to a game for teaching young children the basics of writing and reading by having them search for and find progressive clues to objects found in the household and/or area. A series of progressive, sequential clue cards are placed or concealed, with a supervisor reading a clue for each clue card and players seeking out those cards sequentially and writing the letter or name of the object found.
2. Description of the Related Art
Learning to write and read can be difficult for most small children, yet it is an absolute requirement for practically everyone in the world today. Any means which may be devised to assist small children, and early writers and readers, in learning these skills, is of value, particularly if the means provides enjoyment to those using the means.
Accordingly, various games and the like have been developed in the past for assisting people (primarily children) in learning to write and/or read. Almost all such relatively recently developed games involve computers, which greatly increases the cost and complexity involved and does not provide any physical activity for the players. Various "flash card" and similar games or teaching means have been developed in the past, but none involving a sequential "treasure hunt" type of game, with the clue cards being placed or concealed with objects corresponding to the specific cards. The present invention provides both an apparatus and method of playing such a game, for teaching small children and/or early writers and readers, the basics of writing and reading.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 155,131 issued on Sep. 15, 1874 to Presbury West, titled "Game-Cards," describes a rebus puzzle type arrangement, with some of the cards having letters of the alphabet thereon and others having pictorial symbols thereon which may be combined with the alphabet letters to form representations of words, phrases, and sentences. West does not disclose any particular sequential symbols corresponding to the sequence of the alphabet, as provided by the present apparatus, nor does he disclose any particular method of playing a game, nor of teaching beginning writers and readers how to write and read, as provided by the present game invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,312,278 issued on Aug. 5, 1919 to Jeannette C. Shinn, titled "Card Game," describes a game having a series of pictorial representations of various objects, and a series of alphabet letters with sufficient duplication to provide for forming words corresponding to the various objects shown pictorially on other cards. Each of the pictorial cards includes a letter corresponding to the beginning letter of the word representing the object (e. g., M for "Mask" or "Mill," etc.). However, Shinn does not provide any corresponding objects, clues, or letters on the reverse side of any of the cards, as provided by the present game apparatus. The cards of the present game each have one or more clues thereon, with these clues corresponding to a pictorial representation formed on another card which is in alphabetic sequence with the first card. Moreover, Shinn does not disclose any form of treasure hunt type game, as provided by the cards of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,485,146 issued on Feb. 26, 1924 to Roscoe Mundell, titled "Educational And Game Cards," describes a series of cards having multiplication tables thereon, with letters of the alphabet and corresponding symbols on the reverse sides of some of the cards. Mundell discloses some games which might be played using his cards, in addition to using them as teaching aids for learning arithmetic and multiplication tables. However, none of the games of the Mundell patent involve any physical search for an object corresponding to a clue, which in turn corresponds to a letter of the alphabet, with clues given in alphabetical order.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,756,515 issued on Jul. 31, 1956 to Harold J. Hoffman, titled "Alphabet Order," describes an accordion type file folder divided into a plurality of slots in alphabetical order, along with a series of cards each having a letter of the alphabet thereon and a pictorial representation of an article which name begins with the same letter. The game of the Hoffman patent consists of nothing more than removing the cards from the file folder, and refiling them in alphabetical order. The articles provided on the Hoffman cards do not provide sequential clues for each successive card on the back of each corresponding preceding card for use in a physical search or hunt, as in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,432 issued on May 23, 1995 to Priscilla J. Dwyer, titled "Alphabet Playing Card Deck," describes a game having a series of cards, each having a letter of the alphabet thereon. The cards may include pictorial representations of articles which names begin with the corresponding letter of the card. However, Dwyer does not disclose any sequential clues provided on cards and directed to respective successive cards in the deck, as provided by the present invention, nor does she describe any form of search, hunt, or other physical game which may be played using such cards, as provided by the present educational treasure hunt game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,212 issued on Jun. 30, 1998 to Rhonda F. Hagedorn, titled "Multi-Functional Alphabet Cardgame W/Optional Diamonoidal Cards," describes a series of cards having pictorial representations of objects which names begin with corresponding letters printed on the cards, somewhat like the cards of the Shinn, Mundell, Hoffman, and Dwyer U.S. Patents discussed further above. The Hagedorn disclosure is directed to the use of the disclosed cards for forming words, rather than for searching for a corresponding article, as provided by the present game apparatus and method. Accordingly, Hagedorn does not provide any clues on the backs of her cards, directed to a description of an article or object represented on the front of a succeeding card in the card order, as provided by the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. D-56,985 issued on Jan. 25, 1921 to Claudia Moore, titled "Set Of Alphabet Cards," illustrates a design for a series of cards each having a different letter of the alphabet thereon and a pictorial representation of an article or object which name begins with the same letter. The reverse side of each card has a corresponding letter of the alphabet thereon, with no pictorial representations. Moore does not disclose any clues relating to the identity of an object or article depicted on the next successive card in the group, as provided by the present invention, nor does her design patent describe any method of playing a game using her cards, whereas the present educational game invention includes a method of play and variations thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. D-146,201 issued on Jan. 7, 1947 to Ethel C. Van Wagner, titled "Set Of Playing Cards," illustrates a series of cards each having a pictorial representation thereon corresponding to an accompanying letter of the alphabet. No disclosure of the opposite sides of the cards is provided, nor is any disclosure made of any form of game which might be played using the cards of the Van Wagner design patent.
U.S. Pat. No. D-197,432 issued on Feb. 4, 1964 to Clifford Maxwell, titled "Deck Of Educational Cards For Learning Morse Code," illustrates a series of cards each having a pictorial representation of an object or article thereon, the corresponding name of the object or article, the first letter of the name, and the Morse code for that letter. No disclosure is made of the opposite sides of the cards, nor is any disclosure made of any form of game which might be played using the cards of the Maxwell design patent.
French Patent Publication No. 61,087 published on Mar. 23, 1955 to Andre Hugueville illustrates exemplary cards, with one having a pictorial representation thereon and the other showing a letter of the alphabet thereon. No clues are apparent for directing a player on a physical search for a subsequent card in the sequence, as provided by the present educational game invention.
Finally, British Patent Publication No. 2,137,513 published on Oct. 10, 1984 to Kamil M. A. Al-Najjar, titled "Alphabet Card Game," describes a game having a plurality of cards each having a letter of the alphabet thereon. No pictorial representations or symbols are provided in the Al-Najjar cards and game. The game disclosed is quite similar to Scrabble (tm), but played using cards, rather than a board and letter tiles. Al-Najjar does not disclose any form of physical search game, nor any means of playing such a game using his cards.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.